Menu Style

MOSELEY St Agnes 2, 10-2-22 in Ab

History

On Thursday, October 3rd 1878 a meeting was called to discuss the increasing of the seating for the Church of England in this area. Plans to extend St Mary's (q.v.) did not find favour and instead it was decided to build a wooden church. This was built at a cost of £635 and was opened in April 1879. It was to be used for services for just over five years and cost some £635, including all the fittings. When it was sold, the wooden church went to the new parish of St. Mary and St. Ambrose on Pershore Road (q.v.)(, where it still stands, now acting as the church hall.

An architectural competition was organized amongst seven Birmingham architects in the summer of 1882 for designs for the new church. The anonymously submitted designs were considered at great length by the committee, and the three best were displayed for public viewing at the National Schools in November. The winning architect proved to be William Davis, of Colmore Row. Although detailed plans were now available, money was still not forthcoming on a sufficient scale and, with only £2000 in the bank, it was with considerable trepidation and heart-searching that the Committee sanctioned a start on the building in July 1883. It was decided that the foundations of the whole building should be built but that, to begin with, only the eastern half of Davis's substantial church should be completed. William Bloore's tender of £4045 for the building work was accepted and a Masonic foundation stone laying ceremony decided upon.

At the opening of the church on October 29th 1884 the parts of the church which were completed included the chancel, the north and south transepts and the first two bays of the nave and aisles. The organ chamber on the north side of the chancel and a small vestry on the south side had been built. the 2nd phase of the bulding was completed in 1893 and this included the lower part of the tower. The church was offered £1000 by "CARADOC" in October 1928 offering to donate £1,000 towards the completion of the tower. Quotes were obtained for this, including/excliding a spire. £4,500/£3,300. The church were unable to find the extra funds and decided not to go ahead. However the former parishioner CARADOC offered to pay £3,000 if the job could be finished for this amount and the tower was completed in 1931/2 (Taken from "History of Moseley" - no longer on the church website)

The grillage is in place to allow the addition of a further 6 bells. These bells are believed to be ringable.